Silver Moon
by pokemon-finatic
Summary: It's the Johto Grande Festival, and May has never been so excited in her life. Soledad and Drew are there, best of all Harley isn't. But when Drew starts avoiding her, she wonders if the Festival even worth the effort. CS


**A/N: THIS IS IMPORTANT! Sorry, but I must warn you. I was rushed in putting this story up and posted it before I edited it - Gah! such an idiot... I'm pretty sure I've fixed them all by now, but please tell me of any grammar/spelling/absense of page breaks/etc. problems you may find.**

**Thanks guys!  
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**Happy Reading!**

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_**Silver Moon**_

"And now, I am proud to present May from Petalburg City, Hoenn!" cried the MC. May, taking her queue, excitedly ran out on stage.

"Glaceon, take the stage!" she cried. It was a beautiful day for a Grande Festival. Actually, it had been a beautiful week. May had reached Silver Mountain—the chosen location of the Festival—eight days before, making great time partly because she only had to concentrate on her own journey and partly because she wanted to beat Drew there: to no avail, however, for he had _still_ made it there first.

How he did that, she would kill to know.

"Glaceon, Blizzard!" she cried. They had practiced this routine for a month now; May was determined to step up her game at this Festival. She was so close to the top she could almost taste it. If the top had a taste…that is… She was also determined to beat Drew. Speaking of which, he had been acting odd lately. She was almost sure he had walked away from her ten times faster than usual the other day. And he'd been avoiding her all day today.

"_I should really concentrate on my performance. Drew can wait."_ She thought, sighing. She waited for Glaceon to leap as they had practiced. Just as she reached the highest distance she could reach from the ground, May called:

"Now, Shadow Ball!" keeping the old Eevee attack had really paid off. The black Shadow Ball was a huge contrast to the frosty-white Blizzard. The crowd erupted into applause as Glaceon landed in May's arms. May smiled, she was sure this was going to be a good Festival. She turned to the hallway and made her way for it, knowing full well that Drew would be in the coordinator room. She returned Glaceon after embracing her one last time, took a deep breath, and turned into the room. She was immediately greeted by the sounds of waiting coordinators and family members who had come backstage to visit. She searched the room, hoping to find her chartreuse rival. She instead found the next best thing, and immediately headed for it.

"May! Great performance!" Soledad called as she spotted her. May smiled. As she got closer to the table Soledad sat at, she saw that Drew was accompanying her. Her heart soared.

"Thanks Soledad! I only hope we make it to the next round, Glaceon worked really hard out there… What did you think, Drew?" she added the question nonchalantly, in reality she was anticipating his answer: ready to hang on to every word.

"You did a good job. Congrats May." He said flatly. His emerald eyes never met hers. A part of her felt a little crushed by this. But she didn't let it show.

"Thanks! You did amazing, too!" she said, complementing his Butterfree's performance.

"Thanks, May." He said. Soledad sent her a questioning look and she shrugged. He wasn't even trying to tease her anymore. She found herself actually _wishing_ for his snide remarks and infamous smirk.

"I'm leaving. See you later." He said abruptly and, before the two girls could object, he stood up and was gone. Soledad sighed as May sat next to her.

"What's wrong with him?" May asked. The older coordinator shook her head.

"I don't know. He was looking as if he wanted to tell me something during your entire performance. And then I get around to making conversation with him and he gives me the vaguest answers I've ever heard." She sighed, "I thought you might know more than I."

"No. But that's the most he's talked to me since the first day I was here. You think he's sad about something?" she asked.

"No. If he were sad he would have cracked by now." Soledad said. May trusted her words, Soledad knew Drew like the back of her hand—the fact that she was stumped worried May more than Drew's actions.

"I'll go see if I can find him…" May said, standing up.

"Good luck with that." Soledad called after her as she entered the mob. She searched the entire room for him, but eventually decided that he had left. She exited the room and turned right into the lobby. It was hard to hide in the lobby, and not finding him on first glance, she continued on through the front doors. She headed down the sidewalk towards the park. She felt relief wash over her when she found him on a bench. She walked over to him and sat down. His eyes stared ahead and he didn't acknowledge that she was there.

"Drew." She said softly. When he didn't reply, she waved her hand in front of his face. He blinked and turned to look at her. She searched him for any hint of emotion, but his face and his eyes remained blank.

"Yes?" he asked in the same flat tone he'd been using for a week. May frowned.

"What's wrong with you?" she demanded, skipping straight to the point. She'd had it with waiting, she wanted answers. He turned away from her and shrugged.

"Nothing. Why do you ask?"

"Because you haven't been yourself. You say nothing? What's with the emotionless voice? And how come you haven't used sarcasm in a week? I would have thought you'd go into sarcasm-withdrawal by now!" She hoped he would, at the very least, smirk to that. His face remained blank.

"You say it's a bad thing I don't tease you?"

"I say it's a bad thing you aren't acting yourself! Not even Soledad knows what's up with you. _Soledad_, Drew!"

"Then maybe there is nothing wrong." He said. May growled.

"Oh come _on_, Drew! How long are you going to keep this up! Tell me what's wrong!" she cried, pleading more than demanding. He shook his head and started to stand up. She grabbed his hand.

"Please, Drew…" she asked softly. He froze there for a moment and the two were in silence. Finally, he turned to her and sent her a look filled with so much emotion she felt her hand slide from his.

"I…I can't…" he whispered. He quickly spun around and darted away. May watched him go, her heart sinking with each step he took.

* * *

She watched devotedly, as each face appeared on screen, she searched. She found Soledad's first, followed closely by Drew's. To her surprise, her face followed suit—all three in a row. She felt excitement explode within her.

"We made it!" she cried. Soledad laughed next to her.

"Yes we did! I'll have to step up my game, with you two so close on my heels!"

"So will I! You two are still ahead of me!" May cried. She felt slightly empty when she remembered that Drew was nowhere to be seen. She followed Soledad out into the lobby and out the doors. They were heading for the Pokemon Centre, where all the coordinators stayed. May wondered where Drew was now. He never had told her which room was his, so it was difficult for her to go look for him—she guessed that was his plan. She sighed, and Soledad took notice.

"Why so glum?" she asked. May looked at her and she nodded. "Ah, that's why."

"I don't get him." She said. Soledad laughed.

"I've found he can be difficult to understand at times. Patience, May, he'll come around. Now, how about a change of subject? Who's hungry?" May brightened at this, her eyes widening. Soledad laughed.

"That's what I thought!" she exclaimed. As they entered the Center and dropped off their pokemon with Nurse Joy, May anticipated what would be offered for dinner. Pasta? She was in the mood for pasta. Maybe pizza! Something about tomato sauce was attracting her today. As soon as she handed Nurse Joy her pokemon, she darted for the cafeteria, ignoring Soledad's laughter. When she reached the food line, she was pleasantly surprised to find that it was, indeed, a pasta bar. She grinned, oh how she loved moments like these. She went through the line, piling pasta upon pasta onto her plate and chose a seat for herself and Soledad. When her friend joined her, she had already devoured half of her plate.

"You and your appetite!" Soledad said cheerily as she took her seat. May smiled through another mouthful. She swallowed and answered:

"What? It's good food, and I'm starved! Plus, I was in the mood for pasta!" Soledad smiled.

"Don't you love moments like those?"

"YES!" May cried, giggling happily. The two of them finished their meal, talking happily throughout the time. May had cleaned her plate and gone up for desert before Soledad had even finished. By the time they left the cafeteria, it was late and Soledad left for her room. May sighed, feeling slightly lonely. Soledad's absence brought her thoughts back to Drew. As she pondered her rival, she mindlessly wondered up the stairs to the bedrooms. She let her feet carry her down hallways, not wanting to go to bed quite yet. She turned a corner and came to a halt when she spotted her rival walking towards her. He stopped, staring back at her. She smiled at him and he turned away and down another corridor. By the time she reached it, he was gone. She sighed, wishing he would open up to her like he used to.

* * *

He turned another corner, wanting to slam his fists into the wall. He was walking in no particular direction, mostly any way he could to avoid _her. _Why did this have to happen? Everything was going so well, for once. Why did it have to be this way?

"_Stupid, stupid, stupid Drew!" _he thought angrily. He was about to turn another random corner when a hushed voice halted him. He recognized that voice anywhere. He listened intently, hoping his presence hadn't been noticed.

"Now…tomorrow, that's when the fun begins!" the voice squealed. Drew gritted his teeth, feeling his anger rise more than before—Harley. What was he up to now? He soon realized that his rival had company.

"Alright, it's all set!" this one was a woman's voice, "When she enters the stage, won't she be in for a su—"

"Shh! Not so loud!" another voice rasped. "You don't know who could be listening in."

"Then it's all set," Harley said, "Tomorrow, we give that little brat what she deserves!" Drew now had the urge to groan. Great. Just what this Festival needed. Another Harley episode that could screw May over. He rushed quietly away, not wanting to be caught. He wouldn't let this happen—no matter what "this" may be.

* * *

"Welcome back, contest fans, to the Johto Grande Festival!" The crowd erupted at the MC's words. May felt the butterflies in her stomach quicken. She waited to see the battle pairings.

"_Oh please don't let me go up against Drew or Soledad…not so soon…"_ she thought worriedly.

"And now, here they are!" May felt relief wash over her as she saw her face paired with a stranger. Soledad and Drew were also paired separately. Now they could all make it to the next round—if they all won, of course.

"It's always nice to save friends for last." Soledad commented. May nodded.

"I hope it ends that way." She said. She stared at Drew's picture, wishing she knew where he was. Neither she, nor Soledad had seen him all morning. His battle was after hers, late in the afternoon, but she still wished he were here. She felt a strange ache inside when he was gone…especially now. She watched the first several battles, hoping the feeling would go away.

It didn't.

Soon it was her turn. She felt the butterflies return and relief soon followed as she realized that the aching had finally been replaced. She walked down the hall, barely hearing Soledad's call of "good luck!" as she stiffly held Beautifly's pokeball. She entered the stage and was welcomed by the roar of the crowd. She felt her nerves settle as people cheered her name. She smiled, remembering how much she loved contests. She took another step, just taking her first look at her opponent, when a loud rumbling sound echoed throughout the arena. She squeaked in surprise as the ground shook violently. As she fell to her knees, she could see the MC and the coordinator opposite her follow suit. The judges held on to their chairs and tables for dear life. Screams came from the crowd as the glass roof above shattered. May watched in horror as fragments of glass fell towards the stage. She frantically tried to get up, but the shaking floor beneath her knocked her down again. There was no escape. She rolled into a ball, her hands over her face, her terrified screams joining those of the crowd. She waited for the intense pain of the ceiling fragments' impact.

Nothing came. She only dared to look up when the ground stopped shaking. The crowd's screams had died and the entire arena was full of shock and amazement. May watched, bewildered, as the pieces of glass floated calmly over to pile themselves behind the row of judges. She instinctively turned to look at the entrance behind her as the blue light, which had outlined each shard, faded. She had looked just in time to see Butterfree's once glowing, blue eyes return to their normal red. It landed on Drew's outstretched arm. She locked eyes with him for a moment and thought, for a split second, he would smile at her. But instead, he turned and disappeared into the shadows.

"Well, that was, er…interesting!" the MC said as she stood up and brushed herself off. May's opponent was doing the same. May quickly stood back up, too confused to care about what had just happened.

"But, the show must go on…I guess. So let the battle begin!" the MC shouted.

The ache had returned.

* * *

"Great job today, May. Despite the…incident." Soledad said. May growled.

"How much you wanna bet Harley had to do with it?" she asked. Soledad sighed.

"He isn't here, remember? You knocked him out of a fifth ribbon when you received your own." May nodded, her anger still boiling.

"Yeah, but I bet that just gave him motive." She hissed. Her friend shook her head, but said nothing more on the subject. She had won her own battle as well, and Drew's was coming soon. May wished he would appear, she had so many questions for him.

"Go look for him." She sent her friend a confused look. "You heard what I said. Go on, I can tell you're dying to find him." Soledad smiled as May felt her cheeks burn.

"Oh…ok." She said, leaving before Soledad could taunt her any longer. She started down the hallway, moving for the lobby. She was about to search for Drew when a loud, high-pitched squeal echoed around the room. She groaned, but had no time to hide as she immediately came face-to-face with Harley.

"May, doll!" he cried, clasping her hands. She sighed.

"Hello Harley…" she mumbled. He ignored her less-than-enthusiastic tone.

"I haven't seen you in _ages_! Oh, and you will not _believe_ how long I've been looking for you! I knew I would find you here at the Grande Festival, but you know how humongous these festivals can be—am I right?" May blinked, not sure how she had kept up with his never-ending rant.

"Uh…yeah. They are pretty big, I guess…" she said.

"Oh, and how is your little boy-toy today? He's been doing quite well this time around!" May felt her cheeks burn at the words "boy-toy" and could have sworn Harley had had to stifle a giggle. She glared.

"Drew is not my 'boy-toy.' And how am I supposed to know how he is? Go ask him yourself!" she cried, wrenching her hands from his. He gasped in the fakest way possible.

"Uh-oh. Touchy subject, I see. Could this be…"

"Don't say it." she growled through gritted teeth. He laughed.

"It is! It is drama! May has drama! Oh my, what will the public think?" He cackled. She knew he was teasing her, and he laughed harder as her face deepened in color. She wished he would go away. Being around Harley always made her feel…awkward.

"Yeah…whatever Harley. Look, I kinda have a…uh…thing." She said, attempting to escape. Harley countered.

"OOOHHH? Well what sort of thing, hun? Is it fun? Oh tell me!" he cooed. She stifled a growl, this guy was so annoying. She was about to make another measly attempt at her escape, when a new voice cut in.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you Harley—May here was talking about going shopping earlier." May was surprised when Drew walked up. She looked at him, but he was avoiding her gaze.

"Oh? Well shopping is always more fun in pairs!" Harley said. Drew smirked.

"But, Harley, this is _May _we're talking about. She would just make you carry her bags. And believe me, she would have a _lot_ of bags. You'd probably keel over before she was half way finished. And don't forget—she's a girl. She'd try to make you buy stuff for her and who wants that?" May was impressed at Drew's arguing. Frankly, he had never been shopping with her. She could tell that Harley had accepted defeat.

"Really? Ok, well then you can have fun doing all that, Drew. I'll just leave you two love-birds alone, now! Toodles!" and with that, he was off. May let out a sigh of relief.

"Thanks, Drew." She said. He shrugged.

"I felt like being merciful."

"That's twice now you've been 'merciful.' You saved me earlier…" she said softly. He sighed.

"Couldn't lose my best rival could I?" he asked. She could tell he had tried to be snide, but the remark seemed strained. She stared at him.

"You've never failed at teasing me." She said. He stiffened.

"What makes you say I failed?" he asked.

"You didn't seem happy about that comment at all." She answered. He shrugged.

"Just not feeling it today, I guess."

"Well…what are you feeling, then?" she asked. He shook his head and started to leave.

"Drew…" she called, but he didn't stop. She watched him go, the shadows of the hall engulfing him. She felt her heart sink when he was gone from her sight. She felt her eyes begin to burn, and rubbed them angrily. Why did it hurt so much when he left?

"_Why does it have to be Drew?"_ she asked herself, as she headed out the double doors and across the street to her room.

* * *

"Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls! Welcome to day three of the Johto Grande Festival!" shouted the MC. The crowd roared. May felt the familiar excitement build within her. She, Soledad, and Drew were still moving up. Today's matches would determine the top four and then two. She felt her stomach summersault as the board scrambled the eight remaining faces. She was relieved when she was paired with a stranger. Soledad and Drew would also compete with strangers. She smiled, perhaps they would all make it to the top four. She knew there was no escape of a pair of them after that, but the final four was all she wanted.

Soledad went first, her Lapras crushing her opponent's Typhlosion. Drew was next. May watched as his Roserade blew away a very unlucky Hippodon. May smiled, the thought of Roserade acting normal cheering her up just a bit. When she took the stage, there was a moment when it seemed she would lose. Her Beautifly was struck down by Magneton's Thunder. She tensed, expecting the worst. However, Beautifly had other plans. She soared out of the dust cloud and returned to her place, strong as ever. The two of them came back with a powerful Silverwind, and May moved on to the next round.

In the end, she had her wish.

"Oh, thank Arceus." She sighed, as she slumped into her seat across from Soledad. The elder coordinator laughed.

"That was scary for a moment, May. You're Beautifly did a very good job." She said proudly. May beamed.

"I know! I'm so proud of her." She said happily. She jumped as something red obstructed her view.

"AH! Oh…" she ended rather sheepishly as she noticed that the red thing was a rose. She took it, and wasn't surprised to find Drew at the other end. "Thanks…" she added.

"Please, May. After that move by your Beautifly, do you _really_ think that's for you?" he asked. She sighed.

"Should've guessed, huh?" she asked. He laughed. It was a rather empty laugh.

"Yes. That was a silly mistake on your part." He said. Before she could answer, he was gone again. She grumbled.

"And there he goes." Soledad commented. She nodded.

"I wish he would stay long enough for me to ask him what's wrong." She said. Soledad sighed.

"Do you really think he'd stay to answer? He's avoiding the question May, you're going to have to wait until he tells you himself." May bit her lip, knowing her friend was right but not wanting her to be.

"I know…he's just…such a…such a _boy_." She growled. Soledad simply laughed.

* * *

"And now, contest fans, the pairings that will determine the final opponents! Here they are!" she cried. May clenched her fists. She hoped with all her might that she would battle the final stranger. No such luck. In fact, May's luck was the worst in the world at that moment. Her eyes widened in horror as she saw who she would battle.

Why did it have to be Drew?

"Well that is interesting." Soledad said. May sensed her sympathetic tone. She groaned.

"Why? Why now?" she asked. Her friend shook her head.

"Just do the best you can, and hope he will too. Focus on the battle, not your feelings." She said. May nodded sadly.

"I wish I knew what feelings to look out for…" she mumbled.

* * *

"And now, the battle between Drew of LaRousse City, and May of Petalburg, both of Hoenn, will now begin!" cried the MC. May knew Drew would wait for her, so she went first.

"Beautifly, take the stage!" she cried.

"Roserade, let's go!" Drew cried. May had a sudden feeling of déjà vu. She smiled, remembering her first battle with Drew.

This was going to be interesting.

"Begin!" cried the MC.

"Beautifly, Silverwind!" May cried. Her pokemon happily obliged. It took a prolonged moment for Drew to react.

"Roserade, dodge!" he cried. The rose pokemon leaped out of the line of fire just in time and May lost points.

"Now, Roserade, Magical Leaf!" Drew cried.

"Psychic, Beautifly!" May cried. The glowing leaves aimed for Beautifly, now illuminated by her Psychic, doubled back toward Roserade. May expected a counter, but none came. She was stunned as Roserade was buffeted by hundreds of her own leaves. Drew lost points.

"Beautifly, Double-Edge!" she shouted. Her pokemon rocketed towards Roserade.

"Dodge!" Drew cried. Roserade leaped for a second time and Beautifly banked just in time to miss the hard ground below. May lost points. Frustration gnawed at her. Why didn't he strike back? He'd been dodging her for most of the battle, and he had only made one offensive move. This wasn't Drew's "style," as he would have said.

"Beautifly! Silverwind, then Psychic!" May cried. The butterfly pokemon whipped up a Silverwind and surrounded Roserade in a silver tornado with Psychic. Drew's pokemon frantically looked around herself, waiting for her master's call. Drew continued to lose points. Beautifly narrowed her spiraling attack, Roserade's doom seemingly close. May growled when no counter came.

"Beautifly, stop!" she cried. Surprised, her pokemon released her attacks and Roserade watched the Silverwind dissipate. The entire stadium was left in a state of confusion.

"DREW!" May cried angrily "Roserade deserves more than this!" She could tell that he had heard her, but his gaze never met hers. Finally, after a moment of silence, his eyes shot from the ground.

"Roserade, Petal Dance!" he cried.

"Beautifly, Psychic!" The pink petals now spiraled toward Roserade.

"Roserade!" Drew cried. It was as if, that were the secret word. Roserade hurdled through the spiraling petals, catching May and Beautifly by surprise. Before either could react, she had whipped up another Petal Dance that hit Beautifly dead on. May lost points, and yet she couldn't help but smile.

"Beautifly, Gust!" she cried. Her pokemon began flapping her wings frantically. Roserade, just landing on the ground, toppled over from the impact. Drew lost points.

"Roserade, Magical Leaf!" Drew cried.

"Silverwind!" May shouted. The two attacks collided, causing an explosion. Dust kicked up and shrouded the floor and the scoreboard from the intent crowd. However, no one could ignore the loud buzzing that echoed around. Time was up.

"And the winner is…" the MC shouted, trailing off until she could see the score, "May of Petalburg!" The crowd cheered. Part of her was excited. She was moving on to the final round! Never had she made it past the top four. The other part of her felt disappointment. She knew the fight had been unfair. Drew hadn't even tried. She could make out his figure complimenting Roserade through the receding dust. He looked more apologetic than anything. He returned his pokemon and stood. His eyes met hers for a moment, pain flashing across them. He turned away and retreated to the opposite hall.

Going on to finals suddenly didn't seem so important.

* * *

"Congratulations, May!" Soledad cried. She, too had won her battle. May felt sick to her stomach at the thought of fighting Soledad, remembering their last battle, but also overjoyed that—if she didn't win—at least her friend would.

"Thank you, Soledad..." she said, less enthusiastic than her companion. Soledad frowned slightly.

"I thought you'd be excited. This is the farthest you've ever come." She said. May sighed.

"I don't think he tried very hard…" she said.

"Ah. That would explain it." Soledad said. May felt her anger returning.

"What? Does he think I can't beat him on my own? I could beat him any day! And poor Roserade! He sent her to her doom! Oh, I could just…just…rip his head off!" May cried.

"Calm down, May. You know he wouldn't think that."

"Then why did he let me win? He shouldn't have let me win!" she cried. The two of them had been walking mindlessly through the streets as they talked, their battle not starting until later that day. Soledad shrugged.

"Whatever his reason, I'm sure it's a good one." She said. May nodded.

"It better be." She growled. Soledad laughed.

"Calm down, won't you? I've never heard you sound so menacing!" she said. May knew she was blushing—perhaps she'd been a little too dramatic about the situation. She decided to end the conversation by not saying anything. Instead she observed the world around her. They had reached a nearby park, and she could see a couple of Sentret who were scurrying about a wooden bench. One seemed to catch the other and, laughing in a chirping sort of way, ran off. The second, stunned for a moment, soon came bounding after its companion. She burst into laughter. Soledad had apparently spotted them as well, for she too was in a fit of giggles.

It was then that May had decided to enjoy the rest of the day.

* * *

"Contest fans—friends and family! Here we are, the final stage of the Johto Grande Festival!" The MC announced.

"These past few days have been entirely enjoyable! Congratulations to all of the coordinators who made it to this festival!" Mr. Contesta exclaimed.

"Remarkable, as usual!" Mr. Sukizo cried.

"All the displays of pokemon and coordinators has been simply fascinating! Good luck to May and Soledad, and congratulations to all who have participated!" Nurse Joy said happily. The crowd roared its approval. May felt her nerves begin to kick in.

"_They really make a big deal out of this last stage…"_ she thought to herself. She sighed as the MC began to make a speech. _"Just get on with it already…"_

"May?" she froze. Slowly, she turned toward the voice she would know anywhere.

"What?" she asked, surprised at how clipped her own tone had become. She guessed she still felt a little angry at Drew. He seemed to notice, cringing at her words.

"I…I just wanted to say…good luck," he said, "and…and that I'm sorry." Guilt rushed through her, she hated being mad at him.

"Oh…oh, thank you Drew." She said, her voice softening. His fists clenched.

"May…I…" but the MC interrupted him.

"And now, Soledad of Pewter City and May of Petalburg!" she cried. May growled.

"Oh _now_ she decides to hurry up." She sighed. She could have sworn she saw Drew smirk. She smiled slightly, happy to see him act at least a little bit normal.

"I'll talk to you later, ok?" she asked. He hesitated, then nodded and she started out into the stadium. He sighed, turning from his place in the hall. He wanted to stay, really he did. But the thought of being around her…he bit his lip, wishing he wasn't such an idiot.

"Well hello there Drew. Straying off are we?" he stopped, but didn't show any signs of surprise. Instead he glared at the source of the voice.

"Go away Harley." He scowled, starting to leave.

"I know it was you who interfered with my plans." Harley hissed. Drew held back a smile.

"Perhaps. So what if I was?"

"Oh, just letting you know. So, where are you off to on this fine day?" He really hated the bitter-sweet tone that always lingered in Harley's voice. Why Soledad couldn't hear it, he had no idea.

"None of your business, Harley." He said, a bit too bitterly. This seemed to catch Harley's attention.

"Oh? Something wrong Drewy?" he asked. Drew growled.

"I said, none of your business. Go away, Harley."

"Fine, fine. But I'm too bored to go off on my own. I think I'll continue our chat." Drew suppressed a groan. "So…May's doing well." Harley commented. Drew turned to see that Beautifly had just knocked Butterfree off course. He nodded.

"Yeah, I guess. Really I should be going." He said, starting to leave.

"I can see why you're so fond of her." This comment brought Drew to a halt.

"What do you mean?" he asked, curiosity clawing at him.

"She may be an annoying shrimp, but even I can see her good qualities. She works hard, sometimes too hard which can lead to her downfall. She loves contests with a passion I see in a rare number of people. The way she takes in the world around her, the people around her, the sights around her, and uses what she sees to achieve advantages in her battles—it's astounding really. She tries so hard to keep up with you, while in reality she's already there. And not only is she blind to how truly powerful she's become, but she also treats everyone around her as she wishes for them to treat her—one of the best qualities in a person that I can think of. You can't fool me, Drew; you only play protector because she's too blind to notice her own capabilities, and you only hide from her because she's too blind to see how much you care."

For a moment, Drew's feet felt frozen in their place. Before that moment, if anyone in the world had told him that Harley, the man who forever wore an Arceus-awful Cacturne suit, would not only compliment May's good qualities, but relate them to Drew's view of her, he would have laughed at them—claiming them to be crazy.

"_Arceus…call me crazy…"_ he thought. He then tried once more to leave, and was once again stopped by Harley's words.

"I didn't mean for the glass to shatter, you know. The earthquake was just supposed to mess with her." Drew sighed.

"Yeah, Harley. I know."

* * *

"_And now our winner is…Soledad of Pewter City, Kanto!" the MC cried, "And with such a fierce and close match, this Grande Festival goes out with a bang!" The crowd roared, some chanting Soledad's name. May exhaled, just realizing that she'd been holding her breath. She smiled at Soledad, who was already beaming at her. The match had been close, to be so near to victory over Soledad was not—to May's slight surprise—saddening, but encouraging. She let Beautifly land on her head, her pokemon looking disappointed._

"_You were amazing, Beautifly! I'm so proud of you!" she cried happily, wrapping her into a hug. _

"_Beauuuutifly!" her pokemon cried happily. May watched as Soledad accepted the Ribbon Cup, hugging Butterfree in a similar fashion._

"At least it was a friend who won." May mumbled to herself as she neared the cafeteria, where she was sure to find the party held annually for contestants. The loud sounds of laughter and conversations hit her like a wave crashing down on her. She searched the crowd for Soledad, but couldn't see her. Suddenly, she felt a pair of arms wrap around her.

"Now, _that_ was a battle worth remembering!" Soledad laughed. May grinned.

"I know! You and Butterfree were amazing!" she cried. Her friend smiled.

"So were you, miss May! You and Beautifly had us for a minute there! I'm so proud!" she cried, her eyes sparkling.

"Thank you, Soledad." May said. She thought about her last words and first thought of her parents. Then her thoughts landed on Drew. Her mood instantly fell as she remembered the empty hallway she'd discovered after her battle. Had he even seen her? Did he even know how close she'd come? Soledad seemed to notice her instant gloom and sighed.

"Try not to think about it, May. Come on, why don't we have some cake?" the word "cake" suddenly lifted her spirits.

"Cake? _Cake_? Where?" she asked. Soledad pointed toward the other end of the room, May whipped around and was delighted when her eyes fell upon a long table, covered in dessert choices. She sped off, ignoring Soledad's amused laughter.

If anything could catch May's attention, dessert always would.

"So many choices! Chocolate cake, strawberry short cake, cheese cake, carrot cake, spice cake, vanilla cake, OOOOHHHH! Ice cream cake!" May squealed, as she promptly took a slab of the latter, and walked happily over to Soledad.

"Nice choice, May." Her friend laughed. May smiled through a bite.

"Ma avort!" she said through a full mouth. Soledad's perplexed look clued her in; she swallowed.

"Sorry, I said my favorite." She explained. Soledad smiled.

"I can tell." She looked as if she were about to say something else when her eyes moved to something behind May. She followed Soledad's gaze and found that the "something" was actually a "someone." Someone that, in fact, made her want to groan.

"May! Soledad! My two favorite cookies!" Harley cooed, taking a spot next to May. He put his arm around her, crushing her into him.

"Harley! Can't—breath!" she said with difficulty. He released her and she panted, but continued to eat her cake.

"I didn't know you were here, Harley." Soledad said. May then remembered that she'd forgotten to tell Soledad of Harley's presence. She stuffed her mouth full before either of them could question her. However, neither of them did.

"Oh, I just came to cheer on my favorite coordinators! Well, besides me of course! So sorry for the problems you had, May. That glass incident must have been horrifying!" he said. May was surprised to here sincerity in his voice. She raised her eyebrows, but thanked him the best she could through her mouthful.

"And _you_, Soledad! You were spectacular!" he cooed. She smiled.

"Why thank you, Harley. I wish you could have competed."

"Well, if it wasn't me, I would have wanted it to be May, here! Oh what a pleasant battle that was!" He cried. May nearly choked on her cake. Harley was _pleased_ that she had taken his spot in the festival?

"Now Drew, there's someone who hasn't had a very good festival. How is he? He seemed off earlier." Soledad frowned.

"I wish we could tell you." She said.

"Since when do you care about Drew?" May added, dumbstruck at how…almost _normal_ her rival was acting.

"Well, to be honest, I don't really. But I spoke to him earlier—while you two were off battling each other—and he didn't seem himself. I'm a sucker for curiosity, you see."

"But where were you when you saw him? I have no idea where he went." May said. Harley sighed.

"The hallway, watching your battle. He left after we had a little chat. Now, what is up with him?" May rolled her eyes, pushing aside her own curiosity for the annoyance in Harley's.

"Soledad already told you, we don't know. Why do you keep asking?" she said, getting up to throw away her paper plate. As she neared the trash can, she considered returning to the table. But that thought didn't appeal to her because she really didn't want to see Harley. She turned to see that Soledad was laughing at something Harley had said. She rolled her eyes—she really didn't get what Soledad saw in him. It was then that she turned out of the cafeteria. As she crossed the lobby, she spotted a little girl playing with a Budew. Her thoughts went immediately to Roserade. She'd grown rather fond of Drew's faithful companion. She thought about the battle she'd had with Drew earlier in the day and the disadvantage he'd given himself and Roserade. Suddenly, she felt the strongest urge to look for Drew. Part of her didn't want to try, he hadn't waited for her to come back so why should she go look for him?

"_Because you're worried sick."_ She thought. Stomping out the main doors, she cursed herself under her breath. Why was it that her heart and mind never seemed to get along? She decided to start her search by mindlessly walking around. It had seemed to work out for her in the past. She traced the path around the Festival hall. It was a wondrous sight at night. It seemed to glow with the light of the moon as the outside lights lit up its walls. She sighed, realizing just how much she loved contests.

"_Perhaps…too much."_ She thought to herself. She continued on her way, noticing that the path led some distance behind the hall. As she neared an upward slope, she could just make out the distant silhouette of the Johto Pokemon League building. Her thoughts turned to her friends and she wondered briefly how they were. She felt a pang of sadness, remembering how fun her journeys through Hoenn and Kanto had been with Max, Ash, and Brock. She smiled slightly, remembering how ecstatic Pikachu had always been. She looked ahead of her, noticing how the moonlight washed the mountains that stretched before her. The path ended at cliff which had been used to create a terrace. She leaned on the railing, watching the stars shine endlessly above her.

"Sometimes I wonder how something so far away, could be so beautiful to us right here." She jumped slightly, but mentally slapped herself for not expecting Drew to come out of nowhere just then. She turned her head to look at him, he had taken a spot next to her, a small smirk plastered on his face—obviously he had noticed her jump. She pouted.

"You scared me."

"Sorry, May, you're just too fun to scare." He said, his voice filled with the most emotion it had had all week. She smiled.

"You owe me an apology." She said. He shook his head, turning his gaze to the mountains.

"I don't think so. You should know me well enough by now to expect such actions from me." He said.

"You're good at sneaking." She pointed out. He sighed.

"Yeah, I guess I am." She noticed as the sparkle seemed to disappear from his eyes. She tried to think of something—anything—to get him back in the cheerful mood he'd been in.

"It's a good thing it isn't Halloween—I would have been so paranoid if that were the case. You would've caused me to jump out of my skin." She said. The edge of his mouth twitched upward.

"That's why I would never sneak up on you on Halloween." He said. Her eyes widened and he looked at her—now with a full blown smirk.

"I wouldn't want you to die of a heart attack. Where's the fun in that?" he teased. She growled, instantly annoyed.

"Fun? I'll show you fun!" she cried, lifting her arm up as if she would slap him. She swiped at him, but his hand shot up to catch her wrist. She squeaked with surprise and tried to jerk her arm away. He smiled as she struggled; she knew he was only holding on to taunt her.

"Drew! Let me go!" she whined. Usually she would have been mad at him. However, considering the circumstances, she was actually somewhat happy that he was acting normal again—if not but for a little while.

"Why? I see no reason to." He said. She stopped her struggling and stuck her tongue out at him. He laughed—a genuine laugh.

"Very mature." He said. It was then that she noticed how close to him she was. She instantly felt her cheeks burn and was thankful it was nighttime. She thought about pulling away, but decided against it. He hadn't let go of her yet, her arm still stuck in his grasp over her head. He moved closer to her, the smirk gone from his face. She felt her eyes close slowly. She could hear his breathing near her. Suddenly, she felt his hand release her and could hear him jerk away. She instantly opened her eyes, in time to see him collapse to the ground his head in his hands.

"I can't…I can't…" he whispered. Confused, she knelt down beside him.

"Drew…"

"I'm sorry, May…I'm so sorry…" he said softly. She reached for his shoulder and he pulled away from her.

"Go away, May. Just please…go away." He said. She felt as if her heart was ripped from her. His voice was filled with such agony. She reached out again, this time grapping his arm. He struggled to escape, but she was determined not to let go.

"May …please…" he said sadly, "Just…just let go…" he said, he frame shaking violently.

"I see no reason too," she said, echoing his own words. "Until you tell me what's wrong." She added. He ignored her, continuing to pull himself away from her. She wrenched him closer to her and he whimpered.

"Drew, you can tell me anything." She said, feeling her eyes begin to burn. "You can tell me anything, Drew. Please tell me what's wrong."

"I…I can't May…it…it hurts too much." He croaked. She could see tears running down his cheeks. She pulled him into her arms and he wriggled in her hold.

"What hurts? Drew, tell me please… Tell me so I can help you." she said, trying hard not to let her own tears break through. He stiffened, his eyes avoiding hers. Then, finally, he buried his face in her shoulder as tears still streamed from his eyes.

"I'm sorry…I'm so sorry…" he whispered. She ran her fingers through his hair and wiped tears from his face. He looked at her, his eyes filled with starlight. Pain clouded them, and she felt her world seem to crash down on her. She hugged him tighter, resting her face on his head. His sobs seemed to slow and his shaking lessened. Drew had always been there for May; it was only then that she realized just how much he had given for her.

"I was happy…" he whispered. Her gaze shot back to him. His eyes were distant.

"For once in my life…I was truly happy, May. It felt like…I had a family again." He continued, his eyes still brimmed with tears. "And then, after a while…when I looked at you I...I felt something…and I…I was afraid…so afraid…" This puzzled her.

"Afraid of what?" she asked.

"Losing you…" he answered, so softly it was hard for her to hear him. May was taken aback. She wished then she could say something—anything. But her mind had gone blank. She was thankful when he continued.

"Everyone I've ever cared about, May—everyone—has left me…" he said, "My parents died when I was a baby, my grandmother sent me to the foster system. Before I became a coordinator, any friend I ever had was ripped from me either by my movement or theirs. Soledad was the first friend who never left but she wasn't always around…and then there was you…you and your happy-go-lucky outlook on life; you and your optimism, your naivety, your will to succeed. I claimed you my rival, and that you were for a long time. But then, then you were my friend…and you would be around more and more. And when we went to Johto you would even travel with me at times…and sometimes Soledad would come along…and I…I was so happy…and…so afraid…" Silence fell over them. The moon shone down as it always had, its light washing the world around them.

"Drew…" May whispered, lost for words. She bent down, letting her lips meet with his head and another sob escaped his hold.

"I…I can't…lose you…May…" he said. She wiped his fresh tears from his face.

"You won't Drew…I promise…" she said.

"May, I…I love you…" he said, softer than before. She felt her heart pound so hard it beat at her rib cage. She would never be able to express how happy those words made her. She sat there in silence, trying desperately to relocate her vocal chords.

"Oh Drew…I love you too…so much." She said, "I'll never go away, Drew…I promise…" She was about to continue comforting him when his hands cupped her face. He pulled her lips to his and she felt as if her heart would fly out of her very core. She kissed him back, letting her arms wrap around his neck. Relief mixed with her overflowing joy as she realized that all would be right again, and that made her happier still.

All the while the moon shone silver, its light washing the world around them.


End file.
